Securing mechanisms for articles

ABSTRACT

Articles of footwear often have securing mechanisms that allow wearers to adjust the size of the ankle opening so that wearers may be able to easily insert and remove their foot. Such securing mechanisms may have various physical characteristics. Many wearers are interested in changing the appearance of the articles that they use and wear. The disclosed securing mechanism permits a wearer to change its physical or aesthetic appearance to suit the wearer&#39;s changing fashion needs. Such changes in physical and aesthetic appearance may include changes to colors, logos, textures, images, and any other desirable physical or aesthetic characteristics.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This Non-Provisional U.S. patent application claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/186,332, which was filed in theU.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jun. 11, 2009 and entitled “SecuringMechanisms for Articles.” This application is entirely incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the invention relate to securing mechanisms for articles,such as articles of wear and articles of manufacture. In some examples,the invention relates to securing mechanisms for articles of footwear.

BACKGROUND

Articles of wear, such as apparel, often have openings for insertingobjects, such as portions of a wearer's body. Similarly, articles ofmanufacture, such as a handbag or backpack, usually have openings forinserting objects that a user wants to transport, such as a wallet,food, clothing, equipment, and the like. Most of these articles of wearand articles of manufacture have an opening through which the objectsmay be inserted so that the object can be inserted into and withdrawnfrom the interior of the article for storage, transport, wear, and/oruse. Oftentimes, the opening is adjustable in size. For example, theopening may be adjusted to a relatively large size so that objectseasily pass therethrough. Once the objects are securely positionedwithin or through the opening of the article, then the opening isadjusted to a relatively smaller size or otherwise closed. Thisadjustment may securely fit the article of apparel to a person's body ormay secure a bag in a “closed” position. Many of these articles havesecuring mechanisms for selectively securing the opening in the smalleror “closed” position after the object has been inserted within thearticle.

For example, securing mechanisms are often incorporated into articles offootwear. An article of footwear usually includes an upper and a solestructure attached to the upper that together define a void forreceiving a wearer's foot. Oftentimes, the upper defines an ankle and/oran instep opening through which the wearer's foot is inserted forplacement within the interior of the article of footwear. In someexamples, the ankle and/or the instep opening is adjustable to differentsizes. When the ankle and/or the instep opening is adjusted to arelatively large size, a wearer can easily insert and remove his or herfoot from the interior of the article of footwear. Once the wearer'sfoot is securely within the interior of the footwear, the ankle and/orthe instep opening is most often secured to a relatively smaller size sothat it fits snugly and securely against the wearer's ankle and/or foot.

Most articles of footwear incorporate securing mechanisms forselectively securing the opening in the relatively “small” or “closed”position described above. The securing mechanisms are usually manuallyadjusted by the wearer. Such securing mechanisms typically includeshoelaces, hook and loop fasteners, straps, buckles, snaps, buttons,hook and eyelet combinations, and the like. These securing mechanismsare usually a single color, material, shape, size, and style. Wearersoften want to have the option to change the appearance of their footwearand may wish to vary the color, shape, size, and style of their securingmechanisms. However, most securing mechanisms are permanently attachedto the article of footwear, which makes them very difficult to replace.Other securing mechanisms may be manually interchanged. For example,shoelaces of a particular color may be completely removed and replacedwith shoelaces of another color to suit the fashion sense of the wearer.With this configuration, wearers must spend time changing the laces andmoney purchasing the additional laces. Changing the appearance oftraditional securing mechanisms is difficult and arduous.

The art would benefit from articles of footwear having securingmechanisms with physical and aesthetic characteristics that can easilybe changed. Further, the art would benefit from having securingmechanisms that may be engaged in a variety of manners to providedifferent aesthetic characteristics and configurations.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention inorder to provide a basic understanding of at least some of its aspects.This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is notintended to identify key or critical elements of the invention and/or todelineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merelypresents some concepts of the invention in a general form as a preludeto the more detailed description provided below.

Aspects of this invention relate to securing mechanisms for articles.The securing mechanisms may comprise: (1) a first end; (2) a second endopposite the first end; (3) a center portion interconnecting the firstend and the second end; and (4) at least one twistable portion that isconfigured to cause at least a portion of the securing mechanism torotate around at least one axis from a first position to a secondposition, wherein the at least one twistable portion is positioned in atleast one of the first end and the center portion. These securingmechanisms may be incorporated into any article, such as articles ofmanufacture or articles of wear. For example, the securing mechanismsmay be incorporated into articles of footwear and articles of apparel.

In another aspect, an upper for an article of footwear may comprise: (1)one or more textile elements defining a foot-receiving opening; and (2)a securing mechanism for selectively securing the foot-receivingopening. The securing mechanism may be attached to at least one of thetextile elements at or near the foot-receiving opening. The securingmechanism may comprise: a first end; a second end opposite the firstend; a center portion interconnecting the first end and the second end;and at least one twistable portion. The twistable portion may beconfigured to cause at least a portion of the securing mechanism torotate around at least one axis from a first position to a secondposition, wherein the at least one twistable portion is positioned in atleast one of the first end and the center portion.

In yet another aspect, an article of footwear may comprise: an upper anda sole structure attached to the upper. The upper may define afoot-receiving opening and a securing mechanism for selectively securingthe foot-receiving opening. The securing mechanism may comprise: (1) afirst end; (2) a second end having a securing element; (3) a centerportion interconnecting the first end and the second end; and (4) atleast one twistable portion that is configured to cause at least aportion of the securing mechanism to rotate around at least one axisfrom a first position to a second position, wherein the at least onetwistable portion is positioned in at least one of the first end and thecenter portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and certainadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdescription along with the accompanying drawings, in which likereference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an article of footwear having asecuring mechanism in a first position, in accordance with aspects ofthe invention.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the article of footwear illustrated inFIG. 1A having the securing mechanism in a second position, according toaspects of the invention.

FIG. 2A is a top plan view of an article of footwear having two securingmechanisms in a first position.

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the article of footwear illustrated inFIG. 2A having the two securing mechanisms in a second position.

FIG. 2C is a top plan view of the article of footwear illustrated inFIG. 2A with the first securing mechanism in a first position and thesecond securing mechanism in a second position.

FIG. 2D is a top plan view of the article of footwear illustrated inFIG. 2A with a criss-cross configuration for the two securing mechanismsin a first position.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of an article of footwear with anotherexemplary securing mechanism.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various example embodiments of theinvention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form apart hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration variousexample devices, systems, and environments in which aspects of theinvention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specificarrangements of parts, example devices, systems, and environments may beutilized and structural and functional modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

A. General Examples of Articles with Securing Mechanisms

In general, as described above, aspects of the invention relate tosecuring mechanisms for articles, such as articles of manufacture andarticles of wear. The securing mechanisms may be incorporated into anytype of article that may have an opening that may benefit from asecuring mechanism. Such articles may include articles of manufacture,such as handbags, and articles of apparel, such as shirts and pants.

In some examples, the securing mechanisms may be incorporated into anarticle of footwear. An article of footwear may comprise an upper and asole structure attached to the upper. The upper and the sole structuremay define a void in the interior of the footwear for receiving awearer's foot. The upper may have one or more textile elements and afoot-receiving opening. A wearer's foot may be inserted through thefoot-receiving opening and into the void. The article of footwear may besecured to the wearer's foot during use by tightening or making smallerthe foot-receiving opening once the wearer's foot is fitted securelywithin the void. The foot-receiving opening may be secured in arelatively smaller size to fit the upper snugly around the wearer's footand ankle A securing mechanism may secure the foot-receiving opening inthis relatively smaller size. The securing mechanism may be incorporatedinto the article of footwear to help secure the article of footwear tothe wearer's foot during use. The securing mechanism may be attached toany portion of the article of footwear, including, but not limited tothe upper and/or the sole structure. For example, the securing mechanismmay be attached to the upper of the article of footwear at or near someportion of the foot-receiving opening.

In other examples, an article of footwear is a sandal configuration withat least part of the upper exposing portions of the wearer's foot. Somesandals have an upper that includes a strap that extends over the top ofthe midfoot and/or forefoot region of the wearer's foot and/or may havea strap that extends around the heel region of the wearer's foot. Suchstraps and the sole structure define the void or interior of the articleof footwear. The straps are designed to secure the upper (i.e., thestraps) and the sole structure to the wearer's foot. Any one or more ofsuch straps may include a securing mechanism. Alternatively, the strapitself may function as the securing mechanism. In this configuration,the strap/securing mechanism may be attached to the sole structure ofthe article of footwear. The securing mechanisms may be selectivelysecurable and/or may permit the foot-receiving opening or other spacedefined in the upper for inserting the wearer's foot into the interiorof the footwear to be adjustable to various sizes.

The securing mechanism may cause the size of the foot-receiving openingto be adjusted to a relatively large size for receiving a wearer's footinto the void defined by the upper and the sole structure. In someexamples, a portion of the securing mechanism is selectively releasablefrom the article of footwear. Once the wearer's foot is securelypositioned into the void, the securing mechanism may be adjusted tosecure the foot-receiving opening to a relatively small size so that theupper and the sole structure of the article of footwear fittingly engagewith the wearer's foot. For example, the securing mechanism may beadjusted to cause the upper to contract around the wearer's foot andprovide a snug, secure fit between the upper and the wearer's foot. Thearticle of footwear may be adjusted in any manner to provide a properfit according to the wearer's needs.

Similar to the footwear examples described above, articles of apparelmay have a need for selectively releasable securing mechanisms. Forexample, a shirt or jacket may have an opening that provides access tothe interior of the shirt or jacket. The torso or head of a wearer maybe fitted through the opening when the opening is in an “open” orrelatively large size. In order to secure the shirt or jacket to thewearer, the opening may be secured in a “closed position.” One or moresecuring mechanisms of the types described above may be attached to theshirt or jacket at or near the opening to secure the opening in theclosed position. The securing mechanisms may permit the opening to beenlarged or completely opened so that the wearer's head or torso may beinserted into the interior of the article of apparel. Once the wearer'shead or torso is positioned within the article of apparel, the securingmechanisms may be secured, which may cause the opening to become smalleror close completely.

In other examples, an article of manufacture may have an opening throughwhich items or objects may be inserted for placement within the interiorspace of the article of manufacture. Such articles of manufacture mayinclude items such as a handbag, a backpack, a container, and the like.These items often have openings that are selectively securable, in asimilar fashion to the openings in the articles of apparel that aredescribed above. For example, a handbag is a container for storingvarious items. Oftentimes, the handbag has one or more openings that isadjustable between an opened position and a closed position. The openedposition is the “relatively larger” size for the opening and is usuallylarge enough for users to insert objects into the handbag and to removeobjects from the interior of the handbag. The closed position wouldclose or substantially close the opening so that the objects within theinterior of the handbag would not easily fall out of the handbag andobjects would not easily be able to be inserted into the interior of thehandbag. One or more securing mechanisms of the types described abovemay secure this opening in the closed position. Such a securingmechanism is selectively securable so that it can be adjusted betweenthe opened and the closed position.

In the footwear examples, the foot-receiving opening defined in theupper is configured to receive a wearer's foot. A securing mechanismsuch as shoelaces or a strap with a hook and loop fastener may beattached to the upper so that it extends across at least a portion ofthe foot-receiving opening. A protective element, such as a tongue, maybe attached to the upper so that it extends beneath the securingmechanism and between the securing mechanism and the wearer's foot. Sucha protective element can prevent the securing mechanism from directlyrubbing on the wearer's foot and causing discomfort. Any suitableprotective element may be incorporated into these examples.

When the foot-receiving opening is adjusted to a first, relatively largesize, the opening is large enough for the wearer's foot to be insertedinto the void defined by the upper and the sole structure. Once thewearer's foot is inserted into the void (interior of the footwear), thefoot-receiving opening may be adjusted to a relatively smaller or“closed” position. The securing mechanism may secure the opening in thesmall, “closed” position to provide the wearer with a snug, secure fit.The securing mechanism may be attached to the upper and/or the solestructure or any other suitable portion of the article of footwear.

Specific examples of the invention are described in more detail below.The reader should understand that these specific examples are set forthmerely to illustrate examples of the invention, and they should not beconstrued as limiting the invention.

B. Specific Examples of Securing Mechanisms for Articles of Footwear

The various figures in this application illustrate examples of securingmechanisms for articles of footwear according to this invention. Whenthe same reference number appears in more than one drawing, thatreference number is used consistently in this specification and thedrawings to refer to the same or similar parts throughout.

An article of footwear may include a securing mechanism comprising afirst end, a second end opposite the first end, a center portioninterconnecting the first end and the second end, and at least onetwistable portion that is configured to cause at least a portion of thesecuring mechanism to rotate around at least one axis from a firstposition to a second position. The at least one twistable portion ispositioned in at least one of the first end and the center portion.

In the example footwear 100 shown in FIG. 1A, the footwear 100 includesan upper 119 and an attached sole structure 121. The upper 119 defines afoot-receiving opening 120 in a configuration typical of athletic andmany other types of footwear. In this example, the securing mechanism isa single strap 102 made of any suitable material including, but notlimited to textile materials, rubber, foam, polymers, metals, or anycombination thereof. This strap 102 has a first, attached end 104 and asecond, free end 106. The attached end 104 is permanently secured at ornear a throat area 124 of the foot-receiving opening 120 of the upper119. The free end 106 is selectively securable to the opposing side ofthe throat area 124 of the upper 119.

Further, the strap 102 of this example footwear 100 includes a twistableportion 110 that is attached to the first, attached end 104 of the strap102. The twistable portion 110 connects the first, attached end 104 ofthe strap 102 to the upper 119. The twistable portion 110 is capable ofbeing rotated around an axis 122 that is generally parallel to thelongitudinal length of the strap 102. The twistable portion 110 also maybe rotated around one or more other axes, including, but not limited to,an axis that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal length ofthe strap 102 (e.g., an axis into an out of the page of FIG. 1A).

In some example configurations, a second securing mechanism may beincorporated into the footwear 100. Any suitable number of securingmechanisms may be incorporated into the article of footwear. Shoelacesor elastic may be incorporated into any portion of the foot-receivingopening to help secure the article of footwear to the wearer's footduring use.

The twistable portion 110 may be twisted or rotated around the axis 122parallel to the longitudinal length of the strap 102 and may cause thestrap 102 to rotate from a first position to a second position. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the strap 102 may have a first surface116 and a second surface 118. The first position may correspond to thefirst surface 116 of the strap 102 being exposed to the exterior of thearticle of footwear 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, and the secondposition may correspond to the second surface 118 of the strap 102 beingexposed to the exterior of the article of footwear 100, as illustratedin FIG. 1B. The strap 102 may have any suitable number of surfaces. Forexample, the strap 102 may have a round surface or a polygonal surface(e.g., a triangular or square cross section, etc.). In either of thoseexamples, any surface or portion thereof may be exposed in the “first”position and the corresponding “second” position, when the twistableportion is rotated around the axis 122 that is parallel with thelongitudinal length of the strap 102. Any number of “positions” of thestraps may be included, based on the shape and configuration of thestrap itself

In the example illustrated in FIG. 1A, the first position of the strap102 may correspond to exposing to the exterior of the footwear 100 thefirst surface 116 of the strap 102. The first surface 116 may have afirst appearance. The second position may correspond to exposing to theexterior of the footwear 100 the second surface 118 of the strap 102.The second surface 118 may have a second appearance. The firstappearance and the second appearance may have different characteristics.FIG. 1A illustrates the strap 102 in the first position and FIG. 1Billustrates the strap 102 in the second position. FIG. 1B illustratesthat the twistable portion 110 is rotated 180° around the axis 122defined along the longitudinal length of the securing mechanism 102 withrespect to the first position of FIG. 1A. However, the twistable portion110 may be rotated any distance around the axis 122 parallel with thelongitudinal length of the strap 102.

In one example, the first appearance may be a first color and the secondappearance may be a second color that is different from the first color.The wearer may alternate between the two colors by rotating thetwistable portion to cause the strap to rotate from the first positionto the second position. In another example, the first appearance mayillustrate a first logo and the second appearance may illustrate asecond logo that is different from the first logo. The first appearanceand the second appearance may be any desired physical or aestheticcharacteristics, including but not limited to color, texture, pattern,illustrations, material, graphics, and the like. The wearer also may beable to attach objects or other items to any portion of the strap.

In another example, each opposing side of the strap may have atransparent exterior window so that users can place removable insertsinto a pocket formed between the window and the remainder of the strap.The inserts may have various pictures, graphics, colors, etc. Wearersalso may be able to design or decorate their own inserts. Any suitableinsert may be utilized for display in the transparent window.

The securing mechanism may be attachable to the article of footwear inany suitable manner. The securing mechanism may be releasably attachedor permanently attached to the upper or the sole structure of thearticle of footwear. In some examples, one end the securing mechanismmay be permanently attached to the upper of the article of footwear byglue, thread, cement, molding, sewing, stitching, mechanical connectors,and the like at or near some portion of the throat area of thefoot-receiving opening. The other, opposing end of the securingmechanism may be selectively securable to (i.e., selectively releasablefrom) the upper. As some more specific examples, the securing mechanismmay be a typical hook and loop type fastener comprising a strap ofmaterial with one end permanently secured to the upper on one side ofthe throat area and a second, opposing end that is selectivelyreleasable from a position along the opposing side of the throat area.

The example strap 102 illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B has a first surface116 and a second surface 118. The first surface 116 is facing toward theexterior of the article of footwear 100 in FIG. 1A and toward theinterior of the article of footwear 100 in FIG. 1B. The loop portion 126of a hook and loop fastener is attached to the second surface 118 of thestrap 102 at its second end 106. The hook portion 128 of the hook andloop fastener is permanently attached to the upper 119 along the throatarea 124 of the upper 119. The hook portion 128 may be secured in anysuitable position on the upper 119 and/or the sole structure 121. Thisconfiguration allows the loop portion 126 and the hook portion 128 ofthe hook and loop fastener to be selectively released or selectivelysecured to one another. Thus, the second, free end 106 of the strap 102may be selectively releasable and selectively securable to the upper 119in the example illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

As shown in the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the first,attached end 104 of the strap 102 and the second, free end 106 of thestrap 102 are attached to opposing sides of the throat area 124 of theupper 119. Either of these ends may be positioned along the throat area124 or any other location along the foot-receiving opening 120. In somealternative examples, one or both ends of the strap may be attached toother portions of the upper or to any portion of the sole structure.

In another alternative example, the first end and the second end of thestrap are both selectively releasable from the upper of the article offootwear. Any of the selectively releasable ends may have a selectivelysecurable securing element such as a hook and loop fastener, a button, asnap, a buckle, a magnet, or any combination thereof, that mayselectively secure the selectively releasable end(s) to any suitableportion of the article. In the examples in which both ends of the strapare selectively releasable, the twistable portion(s) may be positionedin any of the first selectively releasable end, the second selectivelyreleasable end, and/or the center portion.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the first, attached end 104 of thesecuring mechanism 102 may have a twistable portion 110. The twistableportion 110 may be capable of causing the securing mechanism 102 torotate around at least one axis 122. The twistable portion 110 may beany element that is able to cause rotation around one or more axes suchas, but not limited to, an elastic material, a ball and socketarrangement, a thread and screw configuration, and any other suitablerotatable element. For example, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an article offootwear 100 having a securing mechanism 102 with a twistable portion110 that includes an elastic material. The twistable portion 110illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B comprises a first elastic segment 112 anda second elastic segment 114. The first elastic segment 112 and thesecond elastic segment 114 are capable of expanding, flexing, andtwisting in various directions, thereby causing the securing mechanism102 to be stretched and twisted along multiple axes.

In FIG. 1B, the twistable portion 110 of the securing mechanism 102 hasbeen rotated 180° around the axis 122 from a first position that exposesthe first surface 116 to the exterior of the footwear 100 (shown in FIG.1A) to a second position that exposes the second surface 118 to theexterior of the footwear 100. The second, free end 106 is released fromthe upper 119 to facilitate the rotation of the twistable portion 110.In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the twistable portion110 rotates about the axis 122 to cause the first, attached end 104, thecenter portion 108, and the second end 106 of the strap 102 to berotated 180° (i.e., between the first position and the second position)about the axis 122.

In variations of the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the strapmay have more than one twistable portion. The plurality of twistableportions may be positioned in any portion of the securing mechanism. Forexample, a securing mechanism may have a first twistable portion and asecond twistable portion. The first twistable portion may be positionedin the first end and the second twistable portion may be positioned inthe center portion or at the second end of the securing mechanism. Anynumber of twistable portions may be included in the securing mechanismin any portion of the securing mechanism.

Referring again to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the example twistable portion 110comprises two elastic segments, a first elastic segment 112 and a secondelastic segment 114. Any number of elastic segments may be included inthe twistable portion 110. When the securing mechanism 102 is rotatedaround the axis 122, the first segment 114 and the second segment 116cross over one another, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. FIG. 1B alsoillustrates the twistable portion 110 in the second position so that thesecond surface 118 is positioned to face toward the exterior of thearticle of footwear 100. In another example, the twistable portion 110may be positioned in or engaged with the center portion 108.

FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate the securing mechanism in various positionsand/or as other alternate arrangements. In these examples, two securingmechanisms 202, 204 are present. In FIG. 2A, the securing mechanisms202, 204 are both in a first position in which their respective firstsurfaces are both facing toward the exterior of the article of footwearand their second surfaces are facing toward the interior of the articleof footwear. FIG. 2B illustrates an article of footwear having twosecuring mechanisms 202, 204 that each have their respective secondsurfaces facing toward the exterior surface of the article of footwearand the first surface facing toward the interior of the article offootwear. In FIG. 2C, the first securing mechanism 202 is positioned inthe first position and the second securing mechanism 204 is positionedin the second position. FIG. 2D illustrates an example in which thesecuring mechanisms 202, 204 are both in the first position but therespective center portions have been crisscrossed over one another(e.g., each strap's twistable portion may be considered as having beenrotated about an axis running in and out of the page of FIG. 2A).

FIG. 3 illustrates a variation of the strap illustrated in FIGS. 1A and1B. An article of footwear 300 has a securing mechanism 302 with atwistable portion having one elastic segment 304. When rotated aroundthe axis 306, the elastic segment 304 flexes and stretches to cause thesecuring mechanism 302 to rotate from the first position where the firstsurface 308 is exposed to the exterior surface of the article offootwear 300 to the second position where the second surface (notshown), opposite the first surface 308, is exposed to the exteriorsurface of the article of footwear 300.

C. Conclusion

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and methods. Thus, thespirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as setforth in the appended claims.

1. A securing mechanism for an article, comprising: a first end; asecond end opposite the first end; a center portion interconnecting thefirst end and the second end; and at least one twistable portion that isconfigured to cause at least a portion of the securing mechanism torotate around at least one axis from a first position to a secondposition, wherein the at least one twistable portion is positioned in atleast one of the first end and the center portion.
 2. The securingmechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the article is an article offootwear.
 3. The securing mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein thefirst position exposes a first appearance of the securing mechanism andthe second position exposes a second appearance of the securingmechanism that is different than the first appearance.
 4. The securingmechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the securing mechanism is a straphaving a first surface and a second surface.
 5. The securing mechanismrecited in claim 1, wherein the twistable portion is positioned at thefirst end.
 6. The securing mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein thetwistable portion is positioned in the center portion.
 7. The securingmechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the twistable portion comprises atleast one elastic segment.
 8. The securing mechanism recited in claim 1,wherein the twistable portion comprises a first elastic segment and asecond elastic segment.
 9. The securing mechanism recited in claim 1,wherein the twistable portion is configured to cause at least a portionof the securing mechanism to rotate around a first axis and a secondaxis.
 10. The securing mechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the articleis an article of apparel.
 11. The securing mechanism recited in claim 1,wherein the second end includes a securing element, and wherein thesecuring element is for selectively securing the second end to thearticle.
 12. The securing mechanism recited in claim 11, wherein thesecuring element includes at least one of a portion of a hook and loopfastener, a portion of a snap, a portion of a magnet, and an opening forengaging a button or buckle.
 13. The securing mechanism recited in claim1, wherein the first end is permanently attached to the article and thesecond end is selectively securable to the article.
 14. The securingmechanism recited in claim 1, wherein the twistable portion includes anelastic material.
 15. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:one or more textile elements defining a foot-receiving opening; and asecuring mechanism attached to at least one of the one or more textileelements at or near the foot-receiving opening, the securing mechanismcomprising: a first end; a second end opposite the first end; a centerportion interconnecting the first end and the second end; and at leastone twistable portion that is configured to cause at least a portion ofthe securing mechanism to rotate around at least one axis from a firstposition to a second position, wherein the at least one twistableportion is positioned in at least one of the first end and the centerportion.
 16. The upper recited in claim 15, wherein the first end of thesecuring mechanism is permanently attached to at least one of thetextile elements at a first location at or near a throat area of thefoot-receiving opening and the second end of the securing mechanism isselectively securable to at least one of the textile elements at alocation at or near the opposing side of the throat area.
 17. The upperrecited in claim 15, wherein the twistable portion includes an elasticmaterial.
 18. The upper recited in claim 15, wherein the twistableportion comprises one elastic segment.
 19. The upper recited in claim15, wherein the twistable portion comprises two elastic segments. 20.The upper recited in claim 15, wherein the first position exposes afirst appearance of the securing mechanism and the second positionexposes a second appearance of the securing mechanism that is differentthan the first appearance.
 21. The upper recited in claim 15, whereinthe first end of the securing mechanism is attached to at least one ofthe textile elements at or near a throat area of the foot-receivingopening.
 22. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper having afoot-receiving opening and a securing mechanism for selectivelyadjusting the size of the foot-receiving opening, the securing mechanismcomprising: a first end; a second end; a center portion interconnectingthe first end and the second end; and at least one twistable portionthat is configured to cause at least a portion of the securing mechanismto rotate around at least one axis from a first position to a secondposition, wherein the at least one twistable portion is positioned in atleast one of the first end and the center portion; and a sole structureattached to the upper.
 23. The article of footwear recited in claim 22,wherein the twistable portion comprises two elastic segments.
 24. Thearticle of footwear recited in claim 22, wherein the first positionexposes a first appearance of the securing mechanism and the secondposition exposes a second appearance of the securing mechanism that isdifferent than the first appearance.
 25. The article of footwear recitedin claim 22, wherein the securing mechanism is attached to at least oneof the upper and the sole structure.
 26. The article of footwear recitedin claim 22, wherein the first end of the securing mechanism ispermanently attached to the upper at a first position at or near athroat area of the foot-receiving opening.